Wednesday 11^th March, 2020 1400

Apologies for the previous entry, it was a tad crude and I used the “a” word too many times! It was through a reaction to reading and seeing the antics of so-called developed countries that view China as a backward place.

Certainly there are aspects of it that date back many years but there are others that shame western countries. A high-speed rail system that runs like clockwork without the screeching that accompanies UK train journeys, only old farts like me use cash when shopping, everyone else zaps their phone and stuff like that.

And yet toilet roll is readily available here. Is that because the Chinese don't wipe their backsides? No, because they don't panic buy except immediately prior to their new year. No different to Christmas Eve in the west and I have long since learnt to make sure I never shop then!

So just now the other department (not the English Language Department) sent me an email urgently requesting the marks I gave their students. I finished testing them on 28^th December. The English dept demanded the marks the second I finished my last class. The other department had told me my classes did not count towards the degree course. Apparently now they do! If they are trying to lay a guilt blanket on me they are out of luck. I have the marks but I'm buggered if I know where they are! They're here somewhere but I'm not going to rush to find them even though they are shrieking for them urgently. This is Dean Liu's fault, I am sure of it. She can wait.

So, Kevin is going back to the Philippines in three weeks. His job has strung him along for months, kept him on a tourist visa (involving flights at his expense to Singapore to renew it every month) and a low wage. He has been subsidising the experience from his own savings. Nobody is going to work at a job that costs you money!

Ok, time to pop to the shops. I am going to attempt, for the first time ever (drum roll please!), making a Chinese hotpot! Not for me but Jody really misses them with most restaurants still closed. Might be a disaster. I can make Betty's Lancashire hotpot but a Chinese one?

Watch this space........